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. 2022 Jul;42(7):301-305.
doi: 10.24095/hpcdp.42.7.04.

Update on cancer incidence trends in Canada, 1984 to 2017

[Article in English, French]
Alain A Demers  1   2 , Nathalie Saint-Jacques  3 , Larry Ellison  4 , Darren Brenner  5 , Natalie Fitzgerald  6 , Samina Aziz  1 , Donna Turner  2   7
Affiliations

Update on cancer incidence trends in Canada, 1984 to 2017

[Article in English, French]
Alain A Demers et al. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can. 2022 Jul.

Abstract
in English, French

This paper highlights findings on cancer trends from the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2021 report. Trends were measured using annual percent change (APC) of age-standardized incidence rates. Overall, cancer incidence rates are declining (-1.1%) but the findings are specific to the type of cancer and patient sex. For example, in males, the largest decreases per year were for prostate (-4.4%), colorectal (-4.3%), lung (-3.8%), leukemia (-2.6%) and thyroid (-2.4%) cancers. In females, the largest decreases were for thyroid (-5.4%), colorectal (-3.4%) and ovarian (-3.1%) cancers.

Cet article met en lumière les tendances en matière de cancer tirées des résultats du rapport Statistiques canadiennes sur le cancer 2021. Ces tendances ont été mesurées à l’aide de la variation annuelle en pourcentage (VAP) des taux d’incidence normalisés selon l’âge. Globalement, les taux d’incidence du cancer sont en baisse (−1,1 %), mais avec des variations en fonction du type de cancer et du sexe du patient. Ainsi, chez les hommes, les plus fortes baisses par année ont été observées pour le cancer de la prostate (−4,4 %), le cancer colorectal (−4,3 %), le cancer du poumon (−3,8 %), la leucémie (−2,6 %) et le cancer de la thyroïde (−2,4 %). Chez les femmes, les diminutions les plus marquées ont été observées pour le cancer de la thyroïde (−5,4 %), le cancer colorectal (−3,4 %) et le cancer de l’ovaire (−3,1 %).

Keywords: cancer surveillance; data analysis; neoplasms; trend.

Plain language summary

Overall, cancer incidence is declining at a rate of −1.1% per year. In males, the two largest decreases were for prostate (−4.4% per year) and colorectal (−4.3% per year) cancer. In females, they were for thyroid (−5.4% per year) and colorectal (−3.4% per year) cancer. Melanoma (males: 2.2% per year; females: 2.0% per year) and multiple myeloma (males: 2.5% per year; females: 1.6% per year) rates are increasing. Cancer trends in Canada are dynamic and type-specific. The decreases for prostate and thyroid cancer underscore the importance of updating testing practices based on best evidence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Most recent annual percent change (APC) in age-standardized incidence rates, by cancer site and sex, Canada (excluding Quebec)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Canadian Cancer Society. Toronto(ON): 2021. Canadian Cancer Statistics 2021.
    1. Statistics Canada. Ottawa(ON): Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR) [Internet] Available from: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS;=3207.
    1. Statistics Canada. Ottawa(ON): Canadian Cancer Registry—age-standardization: incidence [Internet] Available from: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/statistical-programs/document/3207_D12_V4.
    1. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda(MD): 2020. Joinpoint trends analysis software, version 4.7.0.0.
    1. Vaccarella S, Maso L, Laversanne M, Bray F, Plummer M, Franceschi S, et al. The impact of diagnostic changes on the rise in thyroid cancer incidence: a population-based study in selected high-resource countries. Thyroid. 2015:1127–36. - PubMed